Flexible spin-lock model for resource sharing in multiprocessor real-time systems

• Various approaches can be utilized upon resource locking for mutually exclusive resource access in multiprocessor platforms. So far two conventional approaches exist for dealing with tasks that are blocked on a global resource in a multi-processor platform. Either the blocked task performs a busy wait, i.e. spins, at the highest priority level until the resource is released, or it is suspended. Although both approaches provide mutually exclusive access to resources, they can introduce long blocking delays to tasks, which may be unacceptable for many industrial applications. In this paper, we propose a general spin-based model for resource sharing in multiprocessor platforms in which the priority of the blocked tasks during spinning can be selected arbitrarily. Moreover, we provide the analysis for two selected spin-lock priorities and we show by means of a general comparison as well as specific examples that these solutions may provide a better performance for higher priority tasks.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Data- och informationsvetenskap (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Computer and Information Sciences (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Locks (fasteners)

Real time systems

Access to resources

Better performance

Conventional approach

Global resources

Multi-processor platforms

Resource access

Resource locking

Resource sharing

Multiprocessing systems

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

kon (subject category)